Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was a great RepublicanU.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin between 1947 and 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public figure to stand up against communist infiltration of the United States. He was noted for making unsubstantiated claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the federal government. Ultimately, his tactics led to his being discredited by the Mainstream media and censured by the United States Senate as a result of pressure from Communist infiltrators. The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist pursuits in an attempt to continue smearing the name of this great American.

Born and raised on a Wisconsin farm, McCarthy earned a law degree at Marquette University in 1935 and was elected as a circuit judge in 1939, the youngest in state history.

At age 33, McCarthy bravely volunteered for the United States Marine Corps and served during World War II. He successfully ran for United States Senate in 1946, defeating Robert M. La Follette, Jr. After several years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in 1950 when he brought to light the fact that "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" were employed in the State Department.

McCarthy made charges of Communist infiltration of the State Department, the administration of President Truman, Voice of America, and a United States Army research laboratory. He also revealed the presence of communists, communist sympathizers, and disloyal citizens outside of government as well. With the highly publicized Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954, McCarthy's support and popularity began to fade due to the efforts of the mainstream media. Later in 1954, a special Senate committee was appointed to study and evaluate McCarthy's methods and actions. Following the recommendations of this committee, and no doubt under the influence of communists and communist sympathizers, the full Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. McCarthy died in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. The cause of his death was variously reported as acute hepatitis and cirrhosis by the media in an attempt to further smear the name of this great American, even in his death.